Speeches

Mar292006

Mr. Speaker, justice is lacking in the Ohio criminal court of Judge John Connor. Sexual deviant, Andrew Selva, admitted to approximately 20 assaults against a 5-year-old and a 12-year-old. In most societies, Selva would be looking at a life sentence in the jailhouse. But Judge Connor put the criminal on probation and basically told him, try to do better.

The judge obviously lives in the never-never land of excusable conduct. Child molesters belong behind bars. That is why we build the penitentiaries. That is the only therapy that works for these predators.

And the DA's office is a cohort in this injustice since it reduced the charges and had a case of trial sickness, a term applied to inferior and unprepared prosecutors who will not go to trial and advocate on behalf of victims for fear of losing the case.

The real losers are the two victims. The criminal abused them and then the judge and the DA abused them and victimized them again. The judge and the DA should both resign and become defense attorneys, since they both obviously are more concerned about criminals than they are victims.

Mr. Speaker, in this particular case, the judge and the DA would both be found guilty of inexcusable conduct if they were judged by the community. And that's just the way it is.